


On a Raven's Wing

by Ithildin



Series: Echoes the Sea [10]
Category: 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Highlander: The Series, Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossover, Doomed Love, Drama, F/M, Non Canonical Immortal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-18
Updated: 2009-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-03 22:34:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithildin/pseuds/Ithildin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben Wade's arrival in New Mexico brings him full circle with his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This exists entirely due to the repetitive poking efforts of [](http://ninjababe.livejournal.com/profile)[**ninjababe**](http://ninjababe.livejournal.com/) and [her posse](http://ninjababe.livejournal.com/162835.html). This story is set a few weeks after the events in [](http://strangevisitor7.livejournal.com/profile)[**strangevisitor7**](http://strangevisitor7.livejournal.com/)'s story [Child Of My Heart](http://strangevisitor7.livejournal.com/112960.html).

  
_Doña Ana, New Mexico Territory, March 1866_

"Your home is always an oasis of civilization, Mrs. Black," Judge Oren Travis said, sighing as he sank deeper into the leather upholstered armchair in Charlotte's cozy, wood paneled study. "I only wish my visit could be longer."

"And your company is always my great pleasure, sir," she replied with a warm smile, pouring more tea into his cup.

Charlotte and the Circuit Court judge had been acquainted for some years, before he had been posted to his current assignment, and he always tried to make time for a visit when his rounds brought him near. This had been the first visit since he had discovered that his unwilling deputy in neighbouring Four Corners, Ezra Standish, was her cousin; a fact that had initially caused the good judge some anxiety. But it hadn't taken long for her to put his mind at ease, assuring him she bore no ill will in his treatment of her former ward.

"I had thought you to be here for the next week," she commented. Indeed, Oren had only arrived two days prior. Barely enough time to visit with his grandson and daughter-in-law.

"So did I. But duty calls." At her look of enquiry, he explained, "I'm off to Contention on the morning stage. Ben Wade's gang killed the Marshall and his deputies trying to stop Wade from being put on the train to Yuma prison." He tapped his finger against the arm of the chair. "It was the damndest thing – pardon my language – Wade was free, but he shot down his own gang and got on the train. Man walked straight to his own hanging."

She stilled, gripping her teacup. "So he's incarcerated at Yuma then?"

"What?" Travis shook his head. "No, he's a wily one; escaped the train long before it reached Yuma. Probably in Mexico by now." He looked over at his hostess. "Are you well, Mrs. Black? You look pale."

Forcing a laugh, she said, "I am quite well, Judge Travis, merely tired. Foaling and calving season, you know - never enough sleep."

Travis gave her a sharp look. "Perhaps young Standish should spend more time helping you than sitting at the card tables."

"Now, Oren, don't be so hard on my young cousin. He is not the ranching sort, well you know."

"Hmph. Truer words were never spoken, I'm sure." He sounded gruff, but there was a twinkle in his eye. He stood regretfully. "I must be going. Hopefully, my next visit won't be cut short."

"I look forward to it."

  


_____________________********_____________________

  
Charlotte watched from her verandah as Judge Travis rode away, her thoughts slipping back to someone she'd known once upon a time….

_Galveston, Texas, 1850_

"Tell me, young man, do you make a habit of stalking women during their morning turn through the park?" The tip of her parasol pressed against his chest.

Charlotte had come to Galveston on shipping business, letting a lovely seaside home for her sojourn. It was her habit to walk in the morning, before the heat and humidity of the day descended. The last three mornings, she had noted a young man who seemed always to be sitting on the same bench, paying her more attention than was proper. Finally, this morning, she had had enough.

"Well?" she snapped, when no reply seemed to be forthcoming. "Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"So your eyes are blue; the colour of ice," he said in a soft but deep voice. "I had wondered." He closed the journal he'd been writing in. "Ice can burn like fire." This last was said as if to himself.

Stepping back, she felt oddly disconcerted at the way he was looking up at her so shamelessly "You have yet to answer my question," she pointed out, now stabbing her parasol into the ground at her feet for emphasis.

He gave her a slow, lazy smile, before finally replying, "Only when her hair is like a raven's wing."

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. This was ridiculous! He was a child. _No, he wasn't that. Look at his eyes_, she told herself. Those eyes were far too old for someone who couldn't have more than a score of years behind him.

Taking a steadying breath, she said, "I must insist you cease following me, young man."

"But I cannot. How would I finish this otherwise?" He opened the book on his lap, turning it so she could see what was quite obviously a sketch of her on the page. "And my name is Ben, ma'am. Ben Wade."  


_____________________********_____________________

  
  
  
  
**Entry tags:**|   
[ben wade](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/ben+wade), [charlotte sparrow](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/charlotte+sparrow), [chris larabee](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/chris+larabee), [ezra standish](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/ezra+standish), [fic](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/fic), [fic: 3:10 to yuma](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/fic:+3:10+to+yuma), [fic: highlander](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/fic:+highlander), [fic: magnificent seven](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/fic:+magnificent+seven), [fic: xover/au](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/fic:+xover/au), [oren travis](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/oren+travis), [series: 'echoes the sea'](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/series:+%27echoes+the+sea%27), [vin tanner](http://ithildyn.livejournal.com/tag/vin+tanner)  
  
---|---


	2. Chapter 2

  
An approaching rider jolted Charlotte from her reverie. As the figure drew near, she recognized the familiar form of Chris Larabee and she wondered what brought the leader of the Seven to her ranch. Vin Tanner had been by earlier in the day, as part of a scheduled patrol, so she could think of no good reason for the gunslinger to be here. For a moment, the fear that something had happened to Ezra flashed across her thoughts, but she quickly stamped down such imaginings. There was no urgency in Chris's bearing, nothing that would suggest any sort of emergency.

Soon enough, he had dismounted and was walking towards her. She was honest enough to admit that she found Chris more than a little distracting, and took the time to appreciate the view as he approached. He was tall and lean, with a whipcord grace that held an edge of danger, like a lion on the African plain; compelling, yet lethal. But Charlotte had no intention of acting on the attraction that tugged at her. He was mortal, and she wasn't ready to deal with the inevitable grief of another such entanglement. Not to mention, Ezra would be appalled at the thought. She remembered quite well his horror at the interest Josiah Sanchez had paid to his mother only a few weeks prior. No, Chris Larabee was definitely not the sort of man she could afford to open her heart to.

"Pearl," Chris called out as he drew near, tipping his hat.

"Chris," she acknowledged. "What brings you so far from home?"

"Know it's a busy time what with calving and foaling, and wanted t'see if you and the boys needed a hand."

Charlotte shook her head in amused frustration. Ever since Ezra had reentered her life a few months prior and she had become acquainted with the men he rode with, she had found herself overwhelmed with offers of help. They were all quite persistent in their efforts, and while she appreciated their genuine concern, it wasn't at all necessary; she had been taking care of herself, and those under her care, for a very long time.

"I appreciate your offer, Chris, but truly, I have all well in hand." She gestured, indicating that he follow her around the side the hacienda style ranch house.

Falling into step beside her, he walked with her towards the back garden. "Ezra says you're down a hand since last week." He looked at her, frustration evident on his face. "Keep tellin' you, Pearl, you're Ezra's kin and we look out for our own. Can't do that if you don't ask for help when you need it," he chided.

She bit back a sharp retort with some difficulty, knowing he meant well. But Lord above, she did not take well to people meddling in her affairs! It was hard enough these days finding the privacy to train the newly immortal Ezra in swordplay. The last thing she needed were his six companions showing up unexpectedly in their desire to be helpful.

Sitting down on one of the chairs under the apple tree, she finally replied, "And I assure you that should I require aid, you will be the first person I call on."

Taking the chair across from hers, he snorted. "Sure you will, Pearl," he retorted wryly.

Deciding to ignore his last comment, she asked, "Would you care for some refreshment? I have a fine Madeira wine that I took receipt of only a few days ago."

"Would appreciate it."

Her current maid, Beth, was making her way towards them, having caught sight of them out the kitchen window.

"Beth," Charlotte called out, "will you please bring the Madeira…oh, and some of that ginger loaf as well?"

"Yes'm." The girl halted her progress, heading back to the house.

Chris's expression perked up. "Ginger loaf? My ma used to make a mighty fine ginger loaf when I was a boy. Always was my favourite."

"It's Jess's as well," she commented, referring to her third oldest child. "It's hard being in the middle of a large family, and he needed some extra cheering up yesterday."

"Those kids are lucky to have you," Chris told her, the sincerity of his statement evident in his voice.

"On the contrary, it is I who am the fortunate one." She smiled fondly, picturing each of her six adopted children in her mind's eye.

Beth returned with the wine and cake, setting the tray on the table between her mistress and her guest. "That's all right, Beth, I'll serve," Charlotte told the girl. "The children will be home from school in a few hours. Would you please put the cookies in the oven?" The maid nodded, bobbed a curtsey, and left to attend to her duties.

"What?" Charlotte asked, noting the wide grin on Chris's face. "Didn't your mother bake cookies for you when you got home from school?"

"She might have at that," he agreed. "Just thinking that it's a good thing Vin don't know you bake cookies for the kids in the afternoons, or you'd be seeing even more of him than you do now."

Charlotte joined Chris's laughter. The sharpshooter's sweet tooth was well known and the subject of much amusement amongst his friends.

She handed Chris a glass of the sweet red wine and a piece of the ginger loaf. "Then it best remain our secret," she said merrily. "I'm afraid young Mr. Tanner has the ability to eat me out of house and home given the opportunity!"

Chris took a bite of the cake. "This is as good as my ma's," he told her, savouring the sweet confection.

Pleased, she said, "I shall send some home with you. Jess wouldn't mind sharing."

"Real kind of you, ma'am." Then he smiled. "And I ain't telling the others, neither!"

They spent the next half hour amiably chatting about the new foals and Charlotte's plan for buying a stallion that had caught her fancy in Doña Ana the week prior, until finally, Chris stood to take his leave. "Thank you for your hospitality," he said with a tip of his hat, "but it's time I was gettin' back."

"I enjoyed our visit – as unexpected as it was," she finished dryly.

Chris flashed a grin. "I'll be back tomorrow with some of the boys. Have a list of what needs doing ready." He didn't give her a chance to protest as he strode away, leaving her sputtering in his wake.

Then she started to laugh, the humour of the situation overriding her indignation at the man's highhandedness. So Chris Larabee thought he could best her? Then the battle was on! He would find that when it came to stubbornness, she was in a class all her own.

Still laughing softly, she made her way to the back of the garden and her roses, happy to see that some already had buds. The flowers were a reminder of her childhood in England, and she spent a great deal of time caring for them. As she reached out to touch a leaf, a large hand came over her mouth, and a strong arm snaked around her waist, pulling her hard against the body of her captor.

Her heart froze when a familiar voice said softly in her ear, "Why, Charlotte Sparrow, keeping company with gunslingers. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson on that score sixteen year ago."  


_____________________********_____________________


	3. Chapter 3

  
A shockwave of emotion ripped through her at hearing a voice she had never thought to hear again. It couldn't be him; he couldn't be here, not now. Trembling, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing pulse.

The hand over her mouth was removed as he drew them farther back into the rose garden, away from view of the house. "Ben—" she began.

"Shhh," the whisper of his breath drifted into her ear. He laid a hand against her neck, fingers caressing the side of her throat. "Still like a raven's wing," he said softly, his fingers drifting up to stroke her hair.

Shivering at the touch, she closed her eyes and remembered….

_Galveston, Texas, 1850_

Sleep slowly fell away, drawing back like the morning mist as the sun climbed into the sky. She could smell the sweet scent of the oleanders from outside the open bedroom window and hear the pounding of the surf practically outside the front door. Next to her on the bed came the sound of pencil scratching upon paper. She didn't have to open her eyes to see it; Ben, sitting against the headboard, sketching in his ever present journal.

"Don't move just yet," came the soft command. "A few more minutes."

Complying with his request, she let her mind drift, thinking about the last ten days and her unexpected liaison with the ruggedly handsome Ben Wade. She had been the respectable widow and business woman for so many years now, leading her very quiet life in Virginia, that she had found herself more than a little shocked at this turn of events. Oh, how different things would have been had Livy accompanied her on this trip; never would she have carried on in such a manner had her maid been with her. But Charlotte had left Livy behind in Richmond so that if Maude were to show up, leaving twelve-year-old Ezra on Charlotte's doorstep, there would be someone there to care for him till her return.

She let the sound of his pencil as he sketched lull her back into a doze. Charlotte wasn't sure why, but his drawing her seemed more intimate a thing than the bed they shared, and it disconcerted her. More disconcerting was viewing the completed pieces; seeing herself through his eyes. It made her feel more exposed and vulnerable than she could ever recall in the century she'd lived. Ben Wade made her doubt, made her uncertain, but at the same time, she wanted him, desired his touch and the look in his eyes when he took her to bed. He was young, and he was mortal, but he made her feel alive in a way she hadn't felt for decades.

Quiet fell and the bed shifted with his weight as he leaned over, running a hand down her bare shoulder, before gently pulling her onto her back. Opening her eyes, she reached up, stroking his cheek, the new growth of his beard gently scratching under her fingertips.

Snagging her hand with his, he drew it to his lips, kissing her palm. "Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." Ben was never without a suitable Biblical quotation, no matter the occasion. She found it to be a charming quirk of his personality.

"How much better is thy love than wine!" she replied, a smug smile on her face, having actually been able to recall the next verse.

"Very good," he said with a grin.

"And what then is my reward?" she asked mischievously, running a hand down his bare chest.

The smile he gave her made her forget how to breathe for just a moment. "A pleasurable one," he promised as he grasped her wrists, pinning them down onto the pillow above her head before his lips took hers in a hungry kiss….

 

_New Mexico, 1866_

Ben released his hold on her, stepping away, watching Charlotte as she turned to him. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she looked up into the face of her former lover. The last sixteen years had not been kind ones, and they showed in every line and crease that etched his face. His beautiful blue-green eyes held a weariness that hadn't been there when last they'd been together; and something else, that might have been regret. Inwardly she grieved for that young man she had been unable to save.

"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee – Song of Solomon, chapter four, verse seven." He reached out, stroking her cheek with a fingertip. "And so you shall forever be."

She took a step back, his closeness too much to bear. "Dear God, Ben, what are you doing here?" she demanded. "You're a wanted man!"

He flashed her a saucy grin that was more like his younger self. "I'm always a wanted man, Charlotte. Something I pride myself on."

"It isn't funny!" she exclaimed angrily. "It's not safe for you to be here, to be near me!"

"You mean your friend Chris Larabee? And the other men that pass for the law in Four Corners?" he said dismissively. "Oh, I've made a point of taking in the lay of the land. But don't concern yourself, my timeless raven," he said on seeing her shocked expression, "I'm certain I could take Larabee. In fact, I wouldn't mind finding out which of us is the quicker draw." He sounded contemplative.

Her chest constricted at his words, knowing the kind of man Ben was, and the man he'd become. When it came down to it, she didn't know which of the two would be victorious in such a confrontation, but instinct told her it would be Ben. No, she could not allow it to happen, even if that meant she killed Ben herself. Chris would not be the victim of her poor judgment sixteen years ago.

Then he laughed softly. "But you would see me dead before you'd risk Larabee, wouldn't you, Charlotte?"

"Ben," she began to protest, hating how he still seemed to be able to see into her soul, "it isn't—"

"It isn't what? Like I think? You're just friends? And you wouldn't gun me down now because you couldn't sixteen years ago?"

"Stop it, Ben, please!" she entreated. "I don't want anyone to die. Your lives are already far too short, please; I'm begging you, walk away. Go to Mexico, start fresh. If you ever cared about me, leave it be!"

"If I ever cared about you?" He closed the space between them with one long stride, taking her face in his hands. "How can you say that, Charlotte Sparrow? Can you have any doubt how I felt for you?"

Swallowing, she blinked back threatening tears. "I'm sorry, Ben. For then, for now. But please don't make me sorry for what's to be. Don't make me regret loving you through all the centuries yet to come."  


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	4. Chapter 4

  
Charlotte paused outside the door of the old barn that sat at the edge of her property, down near the river. The dilapidated building had witnessed more than its share of drama and anguish over the last six months, and now there was to be yet more.

Beth's reappearance in the garden had interrupted Charlotte's unexpected reunion with Ben, so she had convinced him to come here and wait for her. Now that the children were caught up in chores and homework, she had taken the opportunity to steal away. It was her usual practice to ride after supper, so her absence would go unremarked upon.

The crack of a branch underfoot caused her to whirl towards the sound. She wasn't at all surprised to find Ben standing there, studying her as if trying to commit her to memory. Several days growth of beard and the dust of the trail served to make him look entirely disreputable – like his Wanted Poster, she thought to herself with no little sadness. He still had the neck length wavy brown hair she remembered so well, along with his penchant for stylish hats and vests.

For a moment, they locked eyes, remembering what they once had. Then Ben strode up to her, grasping her shoulders. "We can pretend just for now," he whispered, his lips descending, kissing her, reaching for a past they both knew could never be recovered.

She didn't pull away, allowing the intimacy, the memory of how it had been between them as fresh as if it had only been yesterday.

Finally they broke apart, as if by some silent accord. The moment was fraught with such emotion that Charlotte thought she might weep. So much that could have been; so much hope and promise, now like dust beneath her feet.

Turning away, she walked a short distance from her onetime lover, willing herself to maintain control. Then she asked, "How did you know where to find me, Ben?" Truly, she was baffled at how he could have found her after the passage of so many years.

He stood behind her, not touching her. "Five years ago, I was in Doña Ana. Saw you there, outside the church, holding two crying youngsters. They were of an age, a boy and a girl; you were comforting them."

"Patrick and Penny," she whispered, recognizing his description. That was the day the wagon train had arrived with the orphaned twins, their parents having died on the trail west. Oren Travis had arranged for Charlotte to adopt the five-year-olds.

"Decided me and the boys should move on; there were other towns and other banks." His fingers began to skim the back of her neck and she shivered a little. "Saw the love in your eyes for those kids. Made me wonder if things might have been different between us if there had been someone like you there after my mama abandoned me when my pa was killed." His voice held a softness that was at odds with the hardened man he'd become.

Bowing her head, she wiped away the tears that she was no longer able to ward off. "And you left without a word." It was partly a question.

His hand now rested against her neck, and she could feel the heat of his body against her back. "Figured I'd caused you enough pain, enough sadness, back in Galveston; didn't want to bring you any more. And I suppose I didn't want to see the regret in your eyes for putting yourself between me and that bullet…."

 

_Galveston, Texas, 1850_

The two weeks she'd spent with Ben had been some of the happiest she could recall in a very long time. There were no expectations, no demands, neither of them interested in delving into the other's past. They were both content to exist in the here and now. Both of them spent part of their days dealing with business; Charlotte, her shipping company, and Ben…well, she wasn't quite sure what Ben's work entailed, nor had she asked.

Today, they had ridden about two hours down the island for a picnic. It had been a wonderful day, full of laughter and love. They had even gone swimming, the beach they'd chosen for their time away from Galveston private and deserted but for them. She loved to swim in the ocean; it was the one place where she felt totally free from care. And swimming with one's lover always brought an added dimension of bliss.

Now, as they finally made their way back home, Charlotte reflected on the day, feeling pleasantly tired from their exertions. She was so relaxed that the steady rhythm of her horse almost caused her to doze off.

Ben chuckled, reaching out to touch her arm. "Don't fall asleep now. Wouldn't want you to fall from the saddle," he admonished gently.

"Then perhaps I should ride with you," she said, her eyes drinking him in. Her breath caught a little at seeing a matching look in his eyes.

"Maybe you should." His voice was a low rumble. He pulled their horses to a stop, leaning over to kiss her. She shrieked when he instead pulled her from her mount onto his horse, settling her against him sidesaddle. "Now you know better than to tempt me, Charlotte Sparrow," he scolded, lips twitching.

"Do I?" She tossed her head.

"If you don't already, you will once I'm done with you," he promised in a voice that made her feel as if she would melt.

Their lips came together with a slow, hungry intensity that made her blood pulse with heat. When his hand slipped up under her petticoats to stroke the bare skin of her thigh, she gasped, shifting, trying to press even closer. His hand drifted higher and she thought she might shatter from the sensations his touch brought.

Then he broke the kiss, looking down into her eyes. "What am I going to do with you?"

Breathless, she laughed, "If you do not know, I would be more than happy to illustrate in exacting detail."

"Would you now? I think I'd like that," he told her with a wicked grin.

"I thought you might," she replied in a husky voice. "Lesson numb—"

A rifle shot thundered into the quiet, causing Ben's horse to rear in fright. Charlotte tumbled from her insecure perch, Ben unable to hold onto her as the horse bucked wildly. She hit the ground hard, her head impacting against a rock. Fighting for consciousness, she gasped at the pain that threatened to split her skull in two, but in the end, the blackness won out, and she knew no more.  


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	5. Chapter 5

  
The blackness receded and Charlotte groaned weakly, trying to remember why her head hurt so much. She took a deep breath, then another, as her body healed, the pain not so intense now. There were voices; Ben's, and one she didn't recognize. That voice was angry. Now she remembered; there'd been a shot, she'd fallen from Ben's horse and hit her head. She stilled, trying to make sense of it all while cursing her body for taking so long to recover from its injuries.

Concentrating, she forced back the pain, willing herself to understand. Finally, the sounds sorted themselves into words.

"Didya think you'd get away with it, Wade?" the unknown man demanded.

Ben chuckled. "I suppose that I did at that."

"Always were a smart-assed son of a bitch, Wade, and I'm gonna enjoy shuttin that mouth of yers for good!" The sounds of guns being cocked followed the stranger's words.

_So more than one_. Her hand slid down her riding skirt, seeking the Colt Pocket Pistol that she always kept secreted in its folds. Finding the opening in the fabric that she sought, she grasped the comforting weight of the gun in her fingers. She knew she had to provide a distraction, or Ben would die.

"You wound me! And here I thought you and me were such good friends." Ben sounded completely unconcerned that he faced certain death.

"Tell you what, Wade. Tell us where ya stashed it, and maybe we'll kill your woman too. She don't look so good." There was malevolent laughter from more than one man. "Or me 'n the boys can keep her entertained in what little time she has left."

Charlotte gathered herself, pistol in hand, pushing herself to her feet. Vision blurred, all she could make out were the dark shapes of the men who had ambushed them. Her first shot went wide, but the second hit one of them, the man screaming in pain, grasping his shoulder.

It was all the distraction Ben needed as he drew his Dragoon revolver from its holster, firing four shots in such quick succession that time seemed to stand still. But it wasn't fast enough to stop the bullets that slammed into Charlotte in retaliation.

Their attackers fell dead or dying around them as Ben whirled towards her, his face white with shock as he realized that she was mortally wounded. Charlotte's pistol fell from her hand as she crumpled to her knees. _Ben was an amazing shot_, she thought absently, clutching her stomach, feeling the warmth of her blood spilling from between her fingers. _God, it hurt so much. _

Then he was there, lowering her gently to the ground. "Charlotte, I'm sorry…please don't die," he pleaded helplessly, pressing his hands against the wounds, trying to stem the flow of blood. "Why did you do it?" he demanded.

She didn't have much time left. "Ben, not your fault," she whispered. "Go now…nothing you can do for me. Leave me, please." _Please, God, make him go._

"I will not leave you behind," he said fiercely.

Sighing one last breath, she smiled up into his blue-green eyes, dying in his arms.  


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_New Mexico, 1866_

"But you didn't leave," Charlotte said softly. "I was still in your arms, so many hours after I had died." They walked slowly together towards the barn, the gentle murmur of the Rio Grande floating past them in the quiet of the early evening.

"I wondered if you were an angel," Bed admitted, looking down at her. "A creature of heaven doomed to walk the Earth forever."

"No, not an angel," she laughed, "well you know."

He shook his head, a genuine smile on his lips. "I'm not all that sure I do, truth be told."

Pulling open the barn door, she didn't reply, motioning him to enter. They made their way inside, and sitting down on a hay bale, she asked, "Why are you here, Ben?"

He leaned against a post across from her. "There's a woman." At her expressively arched brow, he added, "Not that kind of woman."

"Go on."

"She's a widow, and that's my doing," he stated baldly.

"So you murder her husband and you come to _me_?" Charlotte was brutally reminded that Ben was an outlaw, a killer, and that him being here was incredibly dangerous.

"Didn't kill him, but may as well have." He looked down at his hands. "Remember I told you once that doing a decent thing can only lead to trouble? I did a decent thing, Charlotte, and Dan Evans is dead because of that."

"Is this to do with what happened in Contention?" she asked, trying to understand.

He looked at her with a piercing gaze. "Know about that, do you?"

"I know you gunned down your own gang and got on the prison train to Yuma. What I _don't_ know is why or why you aren't already in Mexico where everyone thinks you are!" Sudden anger flowed through her like a raging river. She was angry at him for walking back into her life, forcing her to recall a time in her past she wasn't proud of, but most of all, for making her remember how much she'd loved him. Leaping to her feet, she asked heatedly, "Damn it! Why did you have to come here, Ben? Why the hell couldn't you just let the past lie?"

Shrugging at her infuriated outburst, he gave her a crooked smile. "Because I took you at your word." She shook her head in confusion. "You told me once it was never too late for me to get off the path I was traveling to ruin and destruction. Well maybe it took me sixteen years to turn aside, Charlotte, but I have, and I need you to help me finish it."

"Ben—"

"You believed in me once, and I need you to again, this one last time. I swear to you that I'll be gone with the dawn and you'll never set eyes on me again."

_Damn him!_ She couldn't turn aside knowing what the cost might be. Closing her eyes, she nodded, sinking back down onto the hay bale she'd vacated. "You said this man was killed because you did a decent thing?"

Briefly he described the events leading up to Dan Evans being the last man left willing to put Ben on the 3:10 to Yuma. "I could have knocked him out cold, left him there while me and the boys made our escape. The only thing he would have lost was his pride; but he'd be alive and his boys would have a daddy to raise em up right."

Oddly enough, Charlotte could see why Ben believed as he did. She also knew nothing she could say would make him think differently; he'd always had a stubborn streak as wide as the Mississippi. Despite that, she couldn't help but tell him, "It was his choice, Ben."

He shook his head. "Galatians, chapter six, verse five, 'For every man shall bear his own burden'."

Sighing softly, she waved a hand at him to continue.

"The Evans place is just outside Bisbee. The land is a piece of crap, Charlotte, no matter how much money is thrown at it." He paced around the barn now like a caged animal. "And Alice will wither away there trying to make a go of it, all for the memory of her dead husband. William is only fourteen, but he'll be an old man before he's twenty, taking up the responsibility of being the man of the family; trying to live up to the expectations of a father who's dead and buried."

She knew he spoke the truth. It was backbreaking work, scrabbling a living from the arid southwest; without a husband, a woman alone, with few resources and children to care for, it was nigh on impossible. Charlotte had settled in New Mexico as a woman of means, but it had been hard in those early days, making a go of it – and she'd had good land, with abundant water. There had been no few times she'd come close to throwing it all in and going on to San Francisco with Charles and the children as she'd initially planned.

"What do you need me to do, Ben?" She knew she'd do what he wanted if it were in her power. There really had never been any other choice. For that young man she'd loved once upon a time, she'd do it.

Gratitude flooded his eyes. "I have some money, enough for her to start fresh here; a house in town; her and the kids won't want for anything. And William's a bright boy, if you'd take him on when he isn't in school, you could teach him what he needs to know so that when he's a man, he can run a spread of his own, give him a future."

"I can have my attorney make the arrangements, of course. And help her settle in here when she arrives. But what makes you think Alice will accept your money, let alone this arrangement?"

"I don't – that's why I need you to go to Bisbee and convince her, Charlotte."  


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	6. Chapter 6

  
The gray light of dawn was slowly seeping across the horizon as Charlotte rode back to the old barn and her final parting with Ben. They had spent several hours the evening before discussing what Ben wanted Charlotte to do for Alice Evans, each avoiding any talk of their lives or their past together. It was time to let it all go, once and for all.

Arriving at the barn, she found Ben outside, his horse already saddled and ready to go. He helped her dismount, holding her close for just a moment before releasing her and stepping away.

"I brought you food for the journey," she told him, pulling packets from her saddlebags and handing them to him.

"I'm obliged." He quickly and efficiently stowed the provisions in his own saddlebags. "It's goodbye then."

"Yes."

He turned towards her. "I could ask you to come with me, one more time."

"Ben, I—"

"I know, you can't; other people's children…."  


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_Galveston, Texas, 1850_

Charlotte threw the Wanted Poster on the table. How could she have been so stupid? Believing his story about a business deal gone wrong as the reason for the ambush a few days prior! She'd been in town when she'd seen it, instantly recognizing the face of her lover, along with the faces of the men Ben had killed that day, looking out at her from the yellowed paper.

She picked her revolver up from the table at the sound of Ben's footsteps coming down the hall towards her, standing and pointing it at him as he entered the room.

He didn't seem surprised to find her holding a gun on him, glancing down at the damming piece of paper on the table before returning his eyes to hers. "You gonna shoot me, Charlotte?"

Silently, she shook her head, cocking the gun when he made to step closer. He stopped where he was, waiting. "You're turning yourself in, Ben."

"Turn myself in, they'll hang me, Charlotte. Would rather you take care of it right now, it it's all the same to you." He held his hands out. "Can you do that? Shoot me where I stand? Because that's what you'll need to do."

Blood roared in her ears as she realized he was completely serious. She had killed men before, but never someone she'd loved – and Ben knew that. The clock on the mantel began to strike four, and she counted each clang of the chime; it seemed to take hours instead of the handful of seconds it was in reality. The last peal echoed away, leaving no sound now but the pounding of her heart.

Still, Ben waited, as if they had all the time in the world, unconcerned that he might have misjudged her and she would pull the trigger, firing the gun she had pointed at his chest. But he hadn't, and Charlotte's arm dropped to her side.

"Leave, Ben. I never want to see you again," she said tonelessly.

He crossed the room, taking the gun unresisting from her hand and placing it on top of the Wanted Poster. "It doesn't have to end like this," he said earnestly. "I can change; we can change. Come with me, Charlotte. Show me China and all the places you've told me about. We can leave here and never look back!"

What was he asking her? To run away with him, leaving her life behind and damn the consequences? She searched his eyes, seeing nothing there but sincerity. "You know I cannot. I have responsibilities; I can't just walk away from my life!"

"Other people's children, you mean," he said angrily, turning away from her.

"Don't you dare try and make this my fault, Ben Wade," she said angrily. "We never made any promises to each other. But I did make a promise to Ezra that I would always be there for him, no matter what. You have no right to expect me to break my word to that little boy, or to be angry with me because of it!"

His shoulders slumped and his anger seemed to dissipate. "You're right," he said tiredly. "You'd be no better than my mama if you did as I asked, and I'm sorry."

The vision of Ben as a little boy, sitting at the train station, with nothing but a bible, waiting for the mother who never returned, welled up unbidden in her mind's eye. A little part of her died inside; how different a man he might have been if he'd only had someone to love him as a child. But she couldn't save him, only Ben could do that now.

Head bowed, he turned back to her. "I'll be gone at sunset." Then he said, "I won't forget you, Charlotte Sparrow."

"Nor I you," she whispered as he strode from the room.  


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_New Mexico, 1866_

"Goodbye, Ben," she said softly, leaning up to brush his lips with hers. "Go to Brazil, just like you always used to talk about. Write a book, raise horses, and live your life in peace. I'll take care of Alice and her boys, I swear."

"I know you will." He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tight, a sad smile forming. "And I still won't forget you."

Nodding, she started to draw away when a gun cocking sounded in the predawn. Whirling, she put herself between Ben and the unknown gunman.

"Step away from Mz Black, Wade," the familiar voice of Vin Tanner said from the dimness somewhere in front of where they stood.

She pushed down the gun Ben had drawn, this would not come to bloodshed. "Vin, please, there's no need for this. He isn't a threat to me and was making ready to leave, I swear to you."

Vin stepped closer, now visible to them both. "Ben Wade's a wanted man, ma'am."

"And so are you, Vin Tanner," Ben said, sounding amused. "A murderer, just like me."

"Nothing like you, Wade." He gestured with his mare's leg. "Now how about you let Mz Black go."

"Why? So you can take me to Yuma a second time?" He pressed his revolver into Charlotte's side, making sure Vin saw the movement. "I don't think so, Tanner."

"Shoulda stayed put the first time; wouldn't hafta be doin' it again," Vin pointed out.

"Didn't much like the accommodations they provided," Ben said lightly.

"Don't spect you did."

Charlotte's mind raced. Ben was playing a dangerous game and she didn't know how best to diffuse the situation. "Vin, please let him go. He's not the man you took to Yuma anymore. Give him a few hours to make it to Mexico and he'll be on his way to Brazil, never to be seen again."

He gave her an apologetic look. "Don't rightly think I can do that, ma'am."

"Oh, I think you can," Ben contradicted as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back towards his horse. "You wouldn't want any harm to come to Mrs. Black now, would you?"

"Ain't no need for this, Wade," the tracker told him quietly

Ben ignored him. "Mrs. Black is going with me, far enough so I can get a head start. Then I'll release her, unharmed."

Vin looked from Wade to Charlotte then back again. "Your word, Wade."

"You have it." Ben nodded. "You know I'm a man of my word, Tanner; always have been."

"True enough," Vin agreed. "If Mz Black ain't back here within the hour, I'm coming for you, Wade, and there won't be nowhere you can hide."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," he replied with a grin. "Now, if you would be so kind as to bring the lady's horse over here?"

Vin complied, never taking his eyes or his gun off Wade.

"It's going to be fine," Charlotte said; not sure if she were trying to reassure herself or the two men.

"That's right," Ben agreed, placing them between the two horses, before handing both sets of reins to her. "Nice and slow now, and she'll be back before you miss her."

"I'll wait right here for you, ma'am," the tracker told her as Ben led her and the horses away.

"Thank you, Vin," she called out as they walked away.  


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Not an hour later, Charlotte returned to the barn, having made her final farewells to Ben. He had ridden away into the brilliant morning sun without looking back. She hoped he would be well, and that a life that had been filled with violence and despair would finally find peace.

True to his word, Vin was waiting, sitting on a large tree stump, watching as she rode up. Dismounting, she walked over to him.

He rose politely, tipping his hat. "Ma'am."

"Vin." She wrapped her arms around herself, at a loss as to what to say. 'Thank you' seemed so inadequate. Finally, she said, "I owe you an explanation."

Shaking his head, he sat back down on the stump, making room for her next to him. "Don't rightly see that you do," he said as she sat down.

"You knew he was bluffing," she stated baldly.

"Figured as much, but couldn't take the chance."

"We knew each other once; a lifetime ago."

"You loved him," he said simply.

She shot a look at the young man next to her. Charlotte has always known he was perceptive, but it seemed she'd underestimated him. "Yes." She didn't deny it.

"Reckon it was a good thing it was me that showed up this morning and not Chris."

"I suppose it was at that," she said quietly, shivering a little at contemplating a scenario that would have most certainly ended in death.

"Musta been important to Wade, to come lookin' for you all these years later." She could hear the question in his statement.

She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. "He needed me to complete a task for him." Then she explained to the tracker the circumstances of Ben's visit. It was actually a relief to be able to tell someone, and she felt Vin was owed the truth.

"So you'll go to Bisbee then?"

"I shall. There are arrangements to be made, but I should be able to leave at the end of the month. If I ride cross country, I should be back home in less than three weeks."

"Ride?" This time, he actually sounded surprised.

Laughing, she said, "I abhor traveling by stage."

"Don't blame you for that."

"And this will be quicker all round."

"You ain't traveling alone." His tone spoke volumes more than his words.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Tanner?" Charlotte did not like the turn this conversation was taking one bit.

"You think Ez or Chris would let you make this trip by yourself?"

She bristled. "Neither Ezra nor Mr. Larabee have a say in how I lead my life." Jumping to her feet, she stood, arms akimbo. "I have been taking care of myself for a very long time, Mr. Tanner, and you'd do well to remember that!"

He looked up at the sky, seemingly unperturbed. "Ain't denying that, ma'am, but the truth of the matter is that there's no way in hell they'd let you travel cross country by yourself, and that's the God's honest truth. And I would be a poor friend to Ezra iffn I didn't try and stop you."

Charlotte ground her teeth in frustration. God above, these men would drive a saint mad! "What do you want, Vin?" she asked coolly.

He looked at her, a small smile on his lips. "You let me come with you to Bisbee, and what happened here this morning can just be between us."

She gasped at his absolute cheek. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Hope ya don't see it that way, and that's a fact. But you're damn stubborn, pardon me for sayin' so; see where Ezra gets it from." He shot her a big grin. "I'm thinkin' that once you have a chance ta ponder it, you'll see it's for the best."

Narrowing her eyes, she fumed inwardly. Damn, but the boy was right; her life was now intertwined with bonds of family and friendship she'd never sought. Nevertheless, they existed, and she had to deal with that reality. "You have spent entirely too much time with Ezra," she opined dryly.

Vin chuckled. "Spect I have at that."

Sighing in defeat, she smiled ruefully. "Very well, you shall accompany me to Bisbee. But I am doing the cooking on the trail!"

"Was hoping you would!"  


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	7. Epilogue

  
_Six Weeks Later_

Charlotte stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to her front door. She was home, and home was a very good place to be.

"Ma'am?" Vin asked quietly at her side.

Glancing up at him, she smiled softly. "I am just taking a moment to appreciate what I have." The glow of lamplight spilled through the windows, tingeing the early dusk outside with warmth and welcome. From somewhere inside, she could hear her childrens' laughter, and she realized how very much she had missed that sound.

Vin didn't say anything, but she knew he understood. The last three weeks had brought her to a new appreciation of the young tracker, and she thanked God for the friend He had brought to Ezra. Though initially she had been outraged at the young man's audacity at insisting on traveling with her, it had only taken a few days on the trail for her to value his company. Vin Tanner was a fine man, and Charlotte was proud to consider him a friend.

They had traveled to Bisbee, and Charlotte had done as Ben asked; successfully convincing Alice Evans that moving to Doña Ana would be best for her and her children. And now, that chapter of Charlotte's life was finally ended. She wasn't sure where this next chapter would lead, but it would be filled with the love and the comfort of family and friends; for that, she was grateful.

Slowly, she walked up the stairs, reaching the large ironbound oak door. But before she could open it, the door was flung wide, Patrick, Penney, and Jess, throwing themselves at her in an excited rush, while Jemma and Timothy leaned over the mass of younger children to kiss her on the cheek.

"It's good to have you home, mama," Jemma said. "We've all missed you something terrible."

"Missed you, mama," Timothy agreed.

"It's good to be home," she said, brushing Jemma's face with her palm, and squeezing Timothy's shoulder. "I've missed you all so much!" she told them all, leaning down to gather the younger children in a hug.

"Did you bring us presents?" Penney asked excitedly.

"I'm not sure." She looked at Vin with a grin. "Do you recall presents, Mr. Tanner?"

Vin made a great show of scratching his chin, as if trying to remember. "Reckon I'll have to think on it some."

The children's groans turned to whoops of joy as Charlotte said, "Of course there are presents!"

She looked down the hall, feeling an Immortal presence, smiling at Ezra as he entered the tiled foyer holding Constance in his arms.

"Now, children," Ezra said, "let's give your mother enough room to breathe, shall we?" He handed Constance to Charlotte, who rocked the toddler in her arms, kissing her face all over. "I do believe Beth could use some help in the kitchen with dinner preparations."

Jemma and Timothy herded their siblings out, with Charlotte promising she would tell them all about her travels at supper.

"Vin," Ezra slapped the tracker on the shoulder, "good to have you back."

"Good to be back," Vin acknowledged with a grin. "How 'bout I take the lil' one back to the kitchen? Sure you two would like to do some catching up." He took Constance from Charlotte, the two-year-old immediately latching onto Vin's long hair.

"Thank you, Vin," Charlotte said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, "for everything."

"Were my pleasure, ma'am. Ez." Vin gave him a nod before leaving the two alone.

Charlotte hugged Ezra tightly. "Thank you for looking out for the children while I was away."

He returned her embrace. "That's what family is for."

Stepping back, she took his hands in hers, squeezing them. She looked up at his dear face, remembering the child he'd been. "This time, I hope you had no doubts of my returning," she said softly….  


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_Richmond, Virginia, 1850_

Charlotte wearily tossed her hat and gloves onto the table next to the front door. She had hired a buggy at the docks to bring her home; Mr. Holcombe would fetch her things from the ship later. It had been a long voyage back to Virginia with nothing but thoughts of Ben to fill it, no matter how she had tried to push his memory into the back of her mind. Looking around the grand entry, she felt only a sad emptiness in her heart. When Ezra wasn't here, this was a house, not a home.

But her feeling of melancholy swiftly fled as the gentle murmur of a pre-immortal presence floated into her awareness. Then the sitting room door opened, and Ezra was racing down the hall towards her at full tilt, throwing his arms around her waist.

"Cousin Charlotte, you came back!" the boy said, looking up at her with suspiciously bright eyes.

"But of course I did, dearest," she said, dropping to her knees to enfold him in her arms. He buried his head into her shoulder, and she realized he was crying. "Ezra, what's wrong?" She looked up at Livy, who had joined them.

"The young master was afraid you wouldn't be returning to us," she told her mistress. "Not a one of us could ease his mind." She ruffled Ezra's hair. "See? What did I tell you, Master Ezra? Madam always comes home."

Charlotte stroked Ezra's back comfortingly. "How long?" she asked her maid.

"Herself dropped him off two weeks ago," Livy told her with a sniff.

"Thank you, Livy." She gave the woman a look of gratitude. "A cup of tea wouldn't be amiss."

Livy nodded her understanding, leaving the two of them alone.

Gently, she disentangled herself from Ezra's grip. Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she began to wipe his tearstained face. "It's all right now, child, I am home."

He nodded, green eyes huge in his face. "I thought I'd been bad and you wouldn't come back," he admitted shakily.

She sat on the floor, pulling him down into her lap, holding him against her chest. "I will always come back to you, my dearest. I swear to you; I would never leave you."

"Promise?"

"I promise, with all my heart…."  


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_I made the right choice_, she thought as she looked into Ezra's eyes. _Then, and now._

He chuckled. "I never had any doubt, Charlotte. You have always been here for me, whether I knew it or not."

Eyes twinkling, she asked, "And have you been doing your sword practice while I've been away?"

Groaning dramatically, he shook his head before kissing her on the forehead. "Will there ever be a time when you won't be my teacher?"

Releasing his hands, she nodded. "There will be a day when you will not need me anymore, Ezra. But till then, I shall do my best to prepare you for the centuries ahead of you, as I have always done."

Ezra took her face between his hands. "I will always need you, cousin."

She put her hand against one of his. "Perhaps; but a time will come when you will spread your wings and find your own way. That is how it must be for our kind."

She stepped away, but before she could leave, Ezra took her arm in a gentle hold, stopping her. "Promise me that you'll be waiting for me when I come home, no matter how many years pass."

"I promise, Ezra, with all my heart."

End  


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End file.
